Diffusion, thermodiffusion, and thermal diffusion of polystyrene in solution

Abstract

Abstract Diffusion coefficients D and Ludwig‐Soret coefficients D ′/ D of polystyrene in toluene were determined in a convection‐free thermodiffusion cell of 1 to 4 mm. height, 100 mm. length, and at a temperature differences of 0.1 to 0.3°C. The cell had two chambers, thus allowing observation of the concentration gradient alone by optical elimination of the temperature gradient. Philpot‐Svensson and Gouy optical methods were used. Both equilibration from homogeneous concentration to Ludwig‐Soret equilibrium and from this back to homogeneous concentration lead to D and D ′/ D . The last method, operating with Δ T = 0 gave more exact results. It was possible to measure very low diffusion coefficients (below 10 −7 cm. 2 sec. −1 ). For sharp fractions the agreement with the free diffusion is good. For broader samples the thermodiffusional D is smaller than D of free diffusion. This difference is in accordance with the different averaging of the two methods. Up to Δ T = 0.3°C. no variation of D ′/ D with temperature was found. The Ludwig‐Soret coefficients increase with increasing molecular weight M and decreasing concentration. The thermal diffusion coefficient D ′ is nearly independent of M and shows only a very slight decline with concentration. The results of our experiments are discussed together with the work of other authors using different techniques.